Skyscrapers made of shipping containers: This skyscraper designed by Ganti + Asociates (GA) Design is the winner of an international competition focused on the housing problem in the slums of Mumbai, India. The design takes advantage of the fact that empty containers can be stacked on top of each other up to 16 containers high. The steel skin itself is structural, therefore it can eliminate cost for additional structure of columns and beams. The design of this 100 meters tall high rise structure (approx. 32 floors) proposes erecting portal frames connected with steel girders placed every 8 floors. Each 8-floor high self-supporting stack rests on these girders and the module repeats vertically. The problem is that you can only stack them on their corner castings; the monocoque is not strong enough to support another container on top.

California to label Monsanto’s Roundup as a carcinogen:California’s Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) has issued plans to list glyphosate (the toxic active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide) as known to cause cancer. According to California’s Proposition 65, the state is required to publish a list of chemicals known to cause cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm. As Dr. Nathan Donley, a scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, noted: “As far as I’m aware, this is the first regulatory agency in the U.S. to determine that glyphosate is a carcinogen. So this is a very big deal.” The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) stated: “Case-control studies of occupational exposure in the USA, Canada, and Sweden reported increased risks for non-Hodgkin lymphoma that persisted after adjustment for other pesticides. There is also “convincing evidence” that it can cause cancer in laboratory animals.” Roundup, Monsanto’s flagship herbicide, is sprayed on crops all over the world and is the most popular weed-killer in the U.S. Besides glyphosate, three other chemicals including tetrachlorvinphos, parathion and malathion were also listed as cancer-causing by the Cal/EPA.

Chilled Fruit Salad with CoconutThis easy recipe for a chilled fruit salad with coconut chips and coconut water is a sweet, crunchy, colorful way to get your kids excited about eating a variety of fruit.